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FAQ

Brand

Machuca Tiles are handmade cement tiles. The word ‘Machuca’ is the family name of the founders of the company. Machuca Tiles are also known as Encaustic Tiles, Mission Tiles, Cuban Tiles, Spanish Tiles, Baldozas, Hydraulic Tiles, or simply as Cement Tiles.

Machuca Baldozas Inc. is the only manufacturer of Machuca Cement Tiles in the Philippines. These tiles are branded with an embossed ‘Machuca’ behind each tile. Be forewarned, there are many suppliers who claim to sell Machuca Tiles, but have products that are actually made of different materials. Machuca Cement Tiles are not made of ceramic, porcelain, vinyl, or clay materials.

You may change any color on any tile to your desired specification. Please visit our Tile Simulator for all of the available shades. Some colors are at a premium (specifically shades of Blue, Green, and Violet), while the rest are standard colors. Changes in the tile price would only occur if you were to change a premium color to a standard color, or vice versa. You also have the option of increasing or decreasing the number of colors on any tile (e.g. Changing a 4 color combination to a 3 color combination), to suit your preference.

Yes! We have a cutter that carefully cuts the tile into desired shapes. We will need the exact measurements to proceed with cutting. Cutting is normally done for border and corner pieces, to fit the tile into the specific floor area. However, we recommend that tiles be cut on-site instead to get more accurate measurements.

Products

The tiles are sold on a per piece basis. The prices of the tiles vary, based on the catalog number (design), color combination, tile size, and final quantity chosen. Our standard tile size is 20×20 cm. Please contact us with your chosen design and quantity, so we could provide you with the exact price of each piece.

If it is an in-stock tile, we can release/deliver right away. Designs that aren’t in stock require approximately 15-30 working days (for an average-sized order), depending on the exact quantity, chosen pattern, and current production schedule.

If you have a firm deadline, please contact us as early as possible with your chosen pattern, tile size, and final quantity. Since these tiles are all manufactured by hand and made-to-order, we greatly recommend that there be sufficiently allotted time to plan, place an order, and manufacture these pieces.

Our standard tile pricing is based on an order of at least one hundred tiles. Due to individual manufacturing and handling, our sample operations are more tedious and time consuming compared to larger bulk orders. For these reasons, we would only be discounting the cost for the sample upon specific large orders. If you were to order a sample and the larger selection, please remind us to discount the cost for the sample.

We greatly recommend a 3 to 10% breakage allotment, depending on the quantity you are ordering. We’ve had many experiences of clients who have missing / broken pieces that are due to improper installation, poor handling, or minor cracks that come from uneven distribution of tiles during transport. This allotment is completely optional, though highly suggested.

Please remember to order carefully and allow for extras as any additional small order is going to cost more than a large order, and may not match the initial order as well because of the difference in batches.

Yes we can help you compute for the exact quantity you will need. For accurate computation, we will require a floor layout or dimensions. Please note that Machuca Baldozas Inc will not be liable for any miscalculations or errors in quantity. The final quantity will be approved by the client.

Yes, we’ve set aside all of our overruns and rejects. They are all located in our factory in Bicutan, Paranaque. The seconds (reject) pieces are sold at a discounted price. Please feel free to come and look through the stocks.

Depending on the contract amount, we would either require a 50% down-payment or a full payment before we start production. This is because we are dealing with colored cement pigments that last only for a few days at a time when mixed, and would need to ensure an order is placed before we begin manufacturing.

Installation

As of the moment, we do not provide installation services. However, we’d be able to provide you and your contractor with installation guidelines and procedures. If you are concerned with the installation, we’d be able to carefully walk you through the process.

The tiles will first need to be washed with liquid soap and water. It is important to never use muriatic acid, as the face of the tiles will be destroyed. After washing the tiles, you may apply floor wax to achieve a shinier and cleaner look. You may opt to use a floor polisher. Please feel free to request a copy of our maintenance guidelines.

The distance depends on the desired look that you would like achieved. For many cases, minimal distance is recommended between the tiles. The general rule to follow is that tiles should not have a distance of more than 2mm.

Each tile we manufacture is hand-made and carefully crafted. Although we strive to be as perfect as possible, the slight imperfections on the tiles are rarely improvable. Every imperfection on the tile is part and parcel of the tile’s personality. Slight variations are inherent to this product. It is important to know that no two tiles are exactly alike. Each and every tile is unique. This adds to the natural appeal and does not compromise the performance or aesthetic. We separate the pieces that do not adhere to the quality that we impose, and add them to our overruns and rejects stock.

It is recommended that all tiles are examined in person or samples are purchased before placing an order. All of our patterns in our website tile gallery are rendered images of the designs in their truest form. Although our best effort is made to ensure that these images are as close as possible to the actual product, slight variations in shade, color or appearance is possible. Monitor and screen settings can also play a role in the representation of a picture. If you are still unsure, you may contact us for samples.

We do not recommend the cement tiles to be installed under direct sunlight and/or rain exposure, as they are susceptible to soaking up the rain and cracking from the heat once the moisture evaporates. Semi-enclosed areas are easier to work with, as they are not exposed to excessive water or sunlight.

No, the colored pigments on the face of these tiles are not painted on the surface, but are rather a fundamental part of the top layer of the tile body. These colored cement pigments are mixed into the cement, and each color mix is hand-poured into the enclosed color regions of a specially-made pattern mold.

You have the option of picking up your tiles in our factory in Paranaque City, or in our showroom in the City of Manila. We deliver to most parts of NCR using our trucks (delivery fees apply). For locations outside the NCR / Philippines, we can deliver worldwide via 2GO / FedEx.